Ho'olilna (Of Aura and Legacy)
by KaidaShi
Summary: A adventure though Alola. Updates once a week. Written by my friend Grace I just posting it for her. (Warning mentions of rape (non-descriptive), toture and neglenctive and controlling parents in future chapters)
1. First Impression

Jesse sniffed around a little, pricking up his ears and letting a low silent growl begin to form in his throat. Something wasn't right here. Were they still in the trial grounds, anyway? He wasn't sure any more. There sure as hell wasn't a path this deep into the woods. Pokémon noises filled the air, yet his trainer marched on with confidence that was certainly misplaced.

There were different scents here, and he glanced around with confusion to see if the others could sense anything, either. Ferdi was still perched nonchalantly atop the trainer's shoulder, preening his feathers again; Akoi was dragging his bone in the ground, occasionally tossing it up and catching it; Nemue was stumbling on with her usual clumsy gait at her side. None of them were perturbed in the slightest.

He could still smell something, though. He didn't know from where, or what it was. But he knew that something was off in these woods.

"I'm sure that those Revival Herbs are in here somewhere… just a little further," Makani assured the team, giving them all a little pet. "Oh? Are you okay, Jesse? You seem on edge."

The Lycanroc whined and rubbed himself against her, trying to push her back towards the trial site. They weren't supposed to be here – they could be endangering themselves. What was that _smell_?

The trainer knelt down and pet his head slowly, looking him right in the eye. "It's okay, buddy, I'll be careful. If we don't find one out here, we can go right back to the entrance and start again. Okay?"

She gave him one more pat before standing up, taking a few more steps forwards – and her feet were swept out from underneath her and she was whipped upside down with a yelp. Unable to react in time Ferdi fell from her shoulder and landed with a plop on the forest floor, instantly shaking himself down and preening all his feathers back into shape.

Obviously all the other Pokémon were hysteric; Jesse was the most worried, leaping up as high as he could to try and reach her, but none of the other three could climb and with Ferdi's feathers in such a state he would never be willing to get up no matter the risk. Akoi tried to scale the tree, but slid straight down again; none of them had special attacks to hit the rope binding her ankles, or at least ones that wouldn't burn the whole forest down.

"Oh my gods. Oh gods. What do we do," Jesse huffed, his breathing out of control and ears pinned right back.

"Just relax for now! We'll find a way to get her down, with Mr. Razor Leaf or not," Nemue replied gently, staring up at the dangling trainer caught in the rabbit snare.

"I'm not sure what you guys are saying, but the blood's going right to my head and it's not feeling too good right now," she groaned, trying not to retch.

Ferdi stopped preening, finally, and flapped up to the closest branch within range and fired off a Razor Leaf. It bounced off the rope with a twang, and at once all their jaws collectively dropped.

"What kind of _fucking rope_ can withstand that?!" Akoi yelled, tossing his bone to the ground in frustration. "Ugh, what do we do now?"

"Just… keep calm! Don't panic, anyone!" Nem cried out in an effort to stop anyone from cracking, but it was too late. Ferdi moved from trembling to flat out earthquake-scale shaking, almost falling back off his tree and onto the floor.

A black shape shot between a few trees, until something alighted on a branch a few yards away from where the Pokémon had gathered and smirked mischievously.

"Hey, how's it hanging?" someone drawled in the most obnoxious accent any of them had ever heard. "Quite literally, it seems, eh bud?"

Jesse whipped around before the others and drew back his lips in a snarl.

"Where the fuck did you come from? I haven't seen Murkrow around here before," he replied without breaking eye contact.

"…Me neither… and I'm from these parts. Have you, Aki?" Nemue asked, tilting her head to the side.

"No, I haven't. You must be a trainer's Pokémon, then… where are they? Your trainer? You've got to have one!" he blurted, grabbing his bone and lifting it back up threateningly. Ferdi was still on the floor in shock.

"Me? Trainer? Nah, you got the wrong bird, bud. Would any Trainermon you've ever seen… look like this?" He lifted his left wing and almost half the feathers were torn, some missing altogether.

"Damn… well, if you can't help us, do us a favour and get lost? Our trainer needs help fast and you're not really contributing to the cause," the Marowak replied with a grumble.

Before the bird could fit in a reply, though, something bigger and definitely not a Pokémon blundered through the bushes, eventually shoving aside a branch or two and stepping boldly into the clearing. Makani could only see them from upside down, but she could already tell that this… child, apparently, was in pretty rough shape. Her dark hair was messy but short, and a lone twig poked out of one side that she hadn't appeared to have noticed yet; the dappled light from the canopy fell on dark and dusty skin. With a laughing croak the Murkrow took off lopsidedly, winging its way across the copse towards the girl who held out her arm for it to land. With her other, she shoved a few leafy plants into a shoulder bag, and Makani knew immediately what it was.

"Oooh, Revival Herbs!" she said aloud before she couldn't hold it in anymore and promptly threw up onto the ground below. The strange child winced before nudging the bird; he promptly flapped away and started to fiddle with the snare's knot.

"So who are you and what are you doing in this wood?" she demanded, right as Murkrow finished untying the rope and letting Makani plummet towards her own mess. Nemue skidded onto the scene, knocking her away in the nick of time, and almost immediately Jesse and Ferdi were on top of her ensuring she was alright.

"Thanks, I guess," Akoi mumbled, tossing his club.

"Eh, no problem, bud," the shady bird chuckled momentarily. "Not often we get visitors, mm?"

"Shut it, Murkrow. God, don't tell me you're another trial-goer?" she huffed. "This isn't part of your dumb trial. Get lost and go back where you came from."

Makani stood up and brushed herself off, snorting out the last of the vomit and wiping it away with a tissue. "Alright, I'm sorry, but I only came here for Revival Herbs. I couldn't find them anywhere else, and thought this was still part of the trial. I'll go now… I guess…"

Right as she turned to leave, headed back where she had come from, when a small bound package hit her in the back. Bending down to pick up whatever it was, it was a few Revival Herbs wrapped in paper and string. The girl had vanished into the wood without a trace remaining.

Frowning in confusion, Makani started back towards the trial, slipping the herbs into the forage bag with the other ingredients she'd been sent to fetch. She was still wondering about the girl in the forest and what was going on. Sure, her empath abilities were slightly skewed upside down, and she wasn't quite sure what the deal was with that kid. They couldn't be much older than 7, surely? And that Murkrow was aggravating her team quite a bit, it appeared.

"Ugh. I never want to have to go through that again," Jesse sighed shakily, pinning back his ears and turning to Nemue. "That was terrifying."

"Yeah, me neither… gods, keeping Ferdi and you calm is what I don't want to have to repeat." The Mudbray continued to stumble over roots and branches as she went, blundering into a tree a few times.

"At least we won't ever have to see them again. There's no way I'm coming back to this forest, nuh uh," Akoi grumbled, still dragging his club. "I don't want to have anything to do with this place, never again, I swear…"


	2. Second Encounters

The sliding Pokémon Centre doors whizzed open and the group filed out, Makani taking up the rear and breathing in the warm evening air. She'd greeted the night already, and stopped by the Pokémon Centre to heal up, and now it was about time for an evening stroll before taking a guest room. Akoi lit his bones on fire, lighting a path on the road, and marched ahead for the others to follow. Jesse stuck close to his trainer's side.

However, he sensed her curiosity pretty quick when she glanced upwards and narrowed her eyes. Slipping through the tall grass, leaning heavily on one side, was the _same girl from the forest_. Murkrow's croaks were audible from the sky, but it was late enough for his dark feathers to be almost invisible.

Jesse lifted his paw to step forwards, but Makani grabbed one of his rocks and held him back. She wasn't about to spring into battle or confrontation. She just slipped into the shadows at the side of the Pokecenter and watched as she reached the door, made a quick reconnaissance check and sidled inside.

Makani peered through the blue-tinted window. Something was going on between her and the Poké Mart clerk, and she could tell one or both were close to yelling. Instead of leaving, she followed her inside and listened into the conversation.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't just go around giving away valuable supplies to children – for free, no less! Get lost, before I call your parents," snapped the staff manning the cash register, stowing away the stack of potions and other healing items under the counter.

"You don't understand. I've no other way of healing her!" pleaded the kid. "Just give me the stuff and I'll pay you back later."

"No need, it's all okay. I'll pay for everything," Makani called from behind, striding up, and the girl froze in surprise. Murkrow turned around from where he was perched on her head and cackled softly for a moment, winking at Jesse who narrowed his eyes. "How much?"

"…Seven thousand," the clerk muttered, and in seconds the cash was on the table. He handed over the supplies, and in return the trainer offered them to the desperate girl.

She took them, suspiciously at first, before scuttling away towards a café table. Makani followed and sat down opposite, watching as she placed her shoulder bag on the table and unfolded the lid. Poking out of the top was a very pale, very drowsy Vullaby who looked extremely unwell.

"So that's why you needed all that… to help your Pokémon?" The kid glanced up uneasily, picking up the Full Heals and Potions and beginning to apply them to what looked like an infected wing.

"Nothing I've tried worked. So I figured people would have some solution. And anyway, I'm on my way out now. I don't intend to go back to the woods for a while." She sank down further into her dark green hoodie, the colour of shaded leaves, and sighed.

"Mind if I ask where you're going?"

"…To Melemele. I'm going to get a starter Pokémon and do the dumb challenge."

Makani lifted an eyebrow. "Really? Where are you leaving from, the ferry port in Heahea?"

"Since when is it your business? I don't even know why you're still here, really. You blew your cash on me, now… get lost or something."

"Hmm… well, for starters, I come from Melemele myself. I could easily get you started with the trials there. And you think you're getting people to give you a lift, judging by how things went over at the Poké Mart just now? Plus, you don't _look_ old enough to get a Pokémon… so I could vouch for you. I've known the Kahuna since I was born. Only if it's just until you get your starter, it might be useful to keep me around."

The kid sighed and glanced away. "I don't even know you, and you don't know me. How can _you_ help, when you got yourself caught in a simple rabbit snare? You think you can help me, but clearly you can't. Who are you, some kind of crappy psychic?"

"No, I'm an empath… but keep that quiet, okay? It's not something I spread around." Makani paused, staring her down with fierce resolve. "Four times in my life, before now, I've looked at a person for the first time and felt… weird, inside. Every single one of those people became my closest friends – my only friends. Guess what happened when you stepped through the trees? Yeah. That. So I'm not keen on leaving you to get turned away by the kahuna for being underage, or unable to get a ride over, or massacred by other trainers on your way down."

Nothing was said for a little while. All the Pokémon on the team were staring her down intently and expectantly.

"Well, that really didn't help your chances much. Now you just sound like a stalker, so I'm leaving and hoping you don't find me in the night," she shrugged, standing up and turning away towards the door. "Bye, weirdo."

"Nghh… F-fine then! But good luck getting anywhere at all without me!" Makani called after her with a clearly wavering voice. "I'm getting a room!"

She got all the way up the stairs and into a guest room before the floodgates faltered and her frustrations were let loose. It only lasted a moment, though, and after her Pokémon had all filed through the door after her she rolled off the bed and slammed the door as softly as possible. With her team gathered around her she spent a few minutes breathing deeply before she calmed down enough.

Once she was relatively more stable, Jesse hopped up onto the bed and lay his head on her lap comfortingly. Akoi grabbed his bone and begun to practise his dance, not striking a flame. Nemue collapsed on the floor, passing out almost immediately, while Ferdi shuffled up her arm onto her shoulder and nipped her ear affectionately.

All of a sudden, however, the Pokedex leapt out of her bag and hovered in the air in front of her.

"Bzzt! I think Hau wantzzz to zzzpeak with you, zz!" it chuckled before dropping down into her hands. At once the image of her friend appeared on the dex screen, tapping on the mic and trying to work out how everything worked.

"It's okay, Hau, you got me," she smiled, and at once Jesse shoved his face into the view and barked excitedly.

"Whoa! Is that Jesse? You got big, didn't ya!" her friend chuckled. "I haven't seen you in weeks now! How've you been?"

"Things are going pretty great, actually! I've gotten through all three trials here… I think I was about to tackle the second when I first called, right? I've got to travel down to Konikoni City, in the south of the island, tomorrow. That's where the Kahuna lives!"

He looked pretty impressed for a moment. "Dang, that's exciting! I haven't beaten my gramps, not quite yet. I and Brionne are training right now!"

"Brionne?" Makani asked, tilting her head sideways.

"Oh yeah, my Popplio evolved! He's too big for me to even carry now!" chuckled her childhood friend. Almost at once the cheerfully smiling face of a considerably larger sealion appeared at the camera, giving a friendly _bwark_ in greeting. Ferdi bent down and _koo_ 'd in response, and he waved.

"That's great, Hau! I really like him… he looks incredible, you know. I hope you two keep training and getting better until you show Hala what's what!" The pair of them laughed amongst themselves for a second. "Jesse evolved, too, as you know, and you met Nemue in our last call. But this is Akoi!" she grinned, turning the camera around to show the Marowak. He waved and tossed his bone around a few times.

"Is that a Marowak?! Whoa!" he exclaimed, mouth agape. "Do you dance with him now?"

"Yep! He's taught me a few things I didn't know at all," she replied, rubbing the back of her head. "I need new poles, we've been practising so much. Mine are getting a little worn…"

"Brionne dances, too! He's pretty good by now. Gramps says in the wild, they all learn from each other and pass down their moves! Maybe if you come back to Iki Town, you could all dance together!"

"That'd be fun. Maybe we could get more people into it, too. I'm sure some of the village kids would love to join in."

"Yeah! You should definitely pop back sometime, before you go to Ula'ula – you could help us train for our battle with Gramps!" Makani smiled fondly and Jesse barked a few more times, shoving his head into view.

"I'd love to, Hau. But I've got to go now – busy day tomorrow. I've got to challenge the Kahuna!"

"Oh, good luck! We're rooting for you!" he replied jovially. "Have a good night!"

"Night. Talk soon!" With that she tapped the red button and Rotom's grinning face returned to the screen, replacing Hau's instantly.

"I think I'm just going to sleep now," she yawned, flopping backwards into the bed. "I'd expect you guys are exhausted. Get some rest, if you can, okay?"

"Well, g'night, kiddo, bzzt!" Rotom hummed, burrowing back into her pack. "I can't wait to zzzee what kind of Pokémon you'll be fighting, zz!"

Jesse circled a few times and curled up tightly at the foot of the bed, snuffling softly for a moment before letting out a gargantuan yawn and passing out. Nemue just sort of flopped onto the floor on her side, snoring softly even while still technically awake. Propping himself up on the chair and resting his head on his bone, the Marowak stared at the ceiling trying to coax himself to sleep; Ferdi fluttered up to the rafters to roost, squatting on the roof beams.

 _BANG. BANG. BANG._ Right around the point Makani was about to pass out, the great thumping on her guest room door startled her right awake and all her Pokémon shot upright with various exclamations of surprise. Jesse began to bark pointedly at the door, and she reluctantly hauled herself out of bed and peered through the peephole to calm him down.

She couldn't see anyone out there, so she shrugged and turned away from the anxious Lycanroc; however, there definitely _was_ somebody behind that door, since once more there was a great hammering and she swung it open tiredly with a deadpan stare.

"Yeah, change of plans. You're coming with us," a firm yet soft and rustly voice huffed from the doorway – one she knew too well. Jesse resumed his growl and kept his stance until a wave of his trainer's hand silenced him, and although he fell silent he didn't cease to glare fiercely at the intruder – the extremely short intruder.

"O…kay, great! Thanks for coming round," the almost asleep Makani replied, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Look, if I can meet you on the cliffs in the morning I should be rested up enough to travel down south with you. These are all roads I've walked before, so we won't get lost… like I did in the forest… heh."

"…Fine. I'll be there when the sun stops touching the sea. If you're not there I'm going without you."

"There won't be any danger of that – trust me, I'll be on time. You go back to the wilderness or whatever, do what you want. I'll meet you."

"You'd better, okay? No second chances."

"Nope."

"Then I'll see you on the cliff tomorrow."

With that the kid slammed the door, leaving the room in silence once more. Taking a few moments to calm the team, trying to get them to go back to sleep, she waited for Jesse to get back onto the bed before following herself.


End file.
